Locally grown, lovingly crafted

My mission is to leave the world a better place than I found it. A lifelong love of baking combined with a strong sense of environmental and social responsibility brought me to the formation of Ad Astra Kitchen. I aim to create delicious products that showcase the work of local farmers and producers while also making it easier for people to make sustainable food choices.

When purchasing ingredients and supplies, I prioritize local farmers and producers, small businesses and co-ops, and companies with records of caring about more than just their bottom line. I choose packaging that is reusable, compostable, recyclable, and/or made from recyclable materials.

Featured ingredients & producers

• Eggs from Lunar Crest Farm
• Honey from Whidbey Island Honey
• Flour from Cairnspring Mill, Fairhaven Mill, and Chimacum Valley Grainery
• Peanut Butter from CB’s Nuts (Kingston)
• Chocolate from K’ul Chocolate (Bellingham)
• Fairtrade cocoa from Equal Exchange
• Produce and herbs from a variety of local small farms and my own garden

Why local and small businesses?

There are a multitude of reasons to prioritize local and small businesses. These are just a few:

• One simple action individuals can take to mitigate the effects of climate change is to reduce their ‘food miles,’ or the distance a food has traveled on its way from its raw form through processing, retail sale, and on to the end consumer. Ad Astra Kitchen prioritizes local and regional ingredients, so you know the product you are eating has low food miles – reducing fossil fuel use and pollution.
• Corporations and large businesses often prioritize profits over people, communities, and nature, while smaller businesses are frequently built on strong values. Ad Astra Kitchen researches the companies we source from, and we actively try to find and work with companies that have values beyond pleasing their shareholders or increasing their bottom line.
• When the national or global food supply chain experiences challenges, local food is often still available without interruption. Building local and regional food systems is one potential way toward a more sustainable future.

What’s ‘ad astra’?

Growing up in Kansas, we celebrated Kansas Day every year in school with a review of state facts and history. The state motto is ‘ad astra per aspera’ which means ‘to the stars through difficulties.’ I always really liked that concept, and even after leaving Kansas to move to the PNW, I brought it with me. Ad Astra Kitchen is about reaching for something more, something better than the current reality.

Another piece of Ad Astra Kitchen is the simplicity of plants, doing their thing, reaching for the stars, going on with their bad selves and being beautiful understated powerhouses of nutrition and healing. In addition to baking, another deep love of mine is gardening, and I primarily use a square foot gardening and interplanting approach – meaning I use a lot of vertical space. An ‘ad astra’ garden, if you will. I’m inspired by the plants, they don’t let the bug bites and the rain and wind get them down (usually).

Finally, I’m a bit of a dreamer and have often been called ‘Spacy Stacy’ or ‘head in the clouds.’ I dream of a future that’s better and not worse. Since I believe the best thing someone can do to bring about change is (…drumroll…) model the change, Ad Astra Kitchen aims to enhance the present and future.